Bill > S2157

This bill, titled the "Commonsense Medicare SGR Repeal and Beneficiary Access Improvement Act of 2014," aims to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) for Medicare, which was a formula used to determine physician payment updates, and instead implement a new payment system. It proposes to replace the SGR with a system that provides modest, consistent annual updates to physician payments, transitioning to a system that rewards quality and value-based care. A key provision is the establishment of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which will consolidate existing quality reporting programs and incentivize eligible professionals (physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, etc.) based on their performance in four categories: quality, resource use, clinical practice improvement activities, and meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The bill also includes provisions to encourage care management for individuals with chronic conditions, improve the accuracy of physician payment calculations, promote evidence-based care for imaging services, enhance transparency of physician services information for beneficiaries, expand access to Medicare data for qualified entities, reduce administrative burdens, and make various extensions and improvements to Medicare and Medicaid programs, including those related to therapy services, ambulance services, and programs for special needs individuals.